Aquinas - Summa Theologica v.3 - Theology Tools

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ruled by Divine providence; whence it would follow that it is useless to
pray and to worship God at all: of these it is written ( Malachi 3:14):
“You have said: He laboreth in vain that serveth God.” Another opinion
held that all things, even in human affairs, happen of necessity, whether by
reason of the unchangeableness of Divine providence, or through the
compelling influence of the stars, or on account of the connection of
causes: and this opinion also excluded the utility of prayer. There was a
third opinion of those who held that human affairs are indeed ruled by
Divine providence, and that they do not happen of necessity; yet they
deemed the disposition of Divine providence to be changeable, and that it
is changed by prayers and other things pertaining to the worship of God.
All these opinions were disproved in the P(1), Q(19), AA(7),8; P(1),
Q(22), AA(2),4; P(1), Q(115), A(6); P(1), Q(116). Wherefore it behooves
us so to account for the utility of prayer as neither to impose necessity on
human affairs subject to Divine providence, nor to imply changeableness
on the part of the Divine disposition.
In order to throw light on this question we must consider that Divine
providence disposes not only what effects shall take place, but also from
what causes and in what order these effects shall proceed. Now among
other causes human acts are the causes of certain effects. Wherefore it
must be that men do certain actions. not that thereby they may change the
Divine disposition, but that by those actions they may achieve certain
effects according to the order of the Divine disposition: and the same is to
be said of natural causes. And so is it with regard to prayer. For we pray
not that we may change the Divine disposition, but that we may impetrate
that which God has disposed to be fulfilled by our prayers in other words
“that by asking, men may deserve to receive what Almighty God from
eternity has disposed to give,” as Gregory says (Dial. i, 8)
P(2b)-Q(83)-A(2)-RO(1) — We need to pray to God, not in order to
make known to Him our needs or desires but that we ourselves may be
reminded of the necessity of having recourse to God’s help in these
matters.
P(2b)-Q(83)-A(2)-RO(2) — As stated above, our motive in praying is,
not Divine disposition, we may change the Divine disposition, but that, by
our prayers, we may obtain what God has appointed.